Preparation

Make pastry dough as directed. Roll out dough into a 15-inch round on a lightly floured surface and fit into tart pan. Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim dough flush with rim and lightly prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake shell until pale golden, 6 to 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.

Cook sugar in a dry heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Add corn syrup and simmer, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved (it will harden before dissolving). Remove pan from heat and cool mixture until it stops bubbling.

Whisk eggs with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk caramel mixture into eggs in a slow stream and whisk in butter, vanilla, and lemon juice until butter is melted. Spread pecans in bottom of tart shell and pour in filling, tapping down pecans to coat.

Bake tart in middle of oven until crust is golden and filling is puffed, 20 to 25 minutes, and cool in pan on a rack.

Cooks' note:
Tart may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Warm in a preheated 375°°F oven to recrisp crust.

Recent Review

Am I the only one that found the baking time far too short? I'm an inexperienced baker and my first pie turned out like pecan soup under the crusty top. My second attempt took near 50 minutes of baking and it's just cooling now with no sign of soupy mess in the middle. I took it out after 25 minutes of baking to have a look and the top was floating on a very runny middle so I left it to bake until the middle was spongy.